The present invention relates to battery-powered tools and, in particular, to battery packs for such tools. The invention has particular application to the coupling between a battery pack and an associated tool housing.
Various types of battery packs for battery-powered tools are known. In one arrangement, a generally cylindrical battery is completely received within the cylindrical handle portion of a tool housing, with the cylindrical wall of the battery forming the negative terminal and there being an axial positive terminal, so that the battery can be received and connected in the tool housing in any rotational orientation.
However, the present invention is directed principally to another type of battery pack which is self-contained and is designed to be attached onto the end of the handle portion of the tool housing so as to form an extension thereof. Such battery packs are typically provided with a latch mechanism to latch the battery pack in place on the tool housing. One such arrangement is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,913. In order to detach the battery pack from the tool housing, the latch must first be disengaged, typically by laterally depressing latch levers, and then the battery pack can be axially pulled from the handle portion of the tool housing. Such battery packs are typically designed to be mounted in only a single orientation. Because the battery pack is mounted as an extension of the tool housing, it may be difficult to maneuver the tool in constricted areas.